Dirty Pucker (Denver Bashers #2)

46. Del

Chapter 46

Del

T he buzzer in the arena booms, signaling the end of the game. The Denver home crowd roars.

The second it’s over, I skate over to the Bashers net, where the rest of my teammates are celebrating.

It’s game three of the playoffs, and we just clocked another win against Los Angeles.

“Fuck yeah, three wins in a row!” Xander hollers as he crashes into Blomdahl.

We’re all screaming and cheering. Thanks to Blomdahl, this game was a shutout.

I skate over to him and tap his helmet. “You fucking killed it,” I say to him.

He grins. “Thanks. So did you.”

Theo bumps me. “Fuck yeah, you did. That was a hell of a goal you scored. I thought we’d only manage three goals this game, but you made it four.”

I was able to score a goal a couple of minutes before the third period ended.

I tell Theo thanks. I glance up at the stands, at the fans going nuts over our win. Everyone is on their feet and slamming the glass. The noise is deafening. My ears are throbbing, but I love it. I love that we’re on a winning streak during this first round of the playoffs. I love that the fans are losing their minds.

My gaze catches on Ingrid, wearing my jersey as she stands up and cheers for me.

I wave at her. She blows me a kiss. My heart skids in my chest and I’m grinning like an idiot.

Dakota, who’s next to Ingrid, makes a joking grossed-out face. My mom, who’s next to Dakota, frowns at her and says something, probably telling her off for making fun of Ingrid and me.

Dakota pulls her lips into her mouth, a sheepish look on her face.

Ingrid blows me another kiss. I wink at her.

There’s my girlfriend, wearing my jersey, cheering for me.

I think about the surprise gift she gave me. I’m still blown away at how thoughtful that was. She went out of her way to find my favorite childhood toy and surprise me with it.

She didn’t have to go through all that trouble. But she did. Because that’s how much she cares about me. That’s how much she loves me.

My heart pounds and it’s not just from the post-game adrenaline.

It’s because the woman I love is here, cheering me on.

We line up to tell the Devils team and coaches good game, then head to the locker room. We’re in the middle of stripping off our pads and gear when Coach walks into the center of the room. We all go quiet.

“Gentlemen, what a game,” he hollers. We all cheer and yell.

“One more win and we advance to round two of the playoffs.” He rests his hands on his hips, falling quiet as his gaze turns focused. “Three wins in a row is incredible, especially during playoffs. But it’s also rough. You guys played your hearts out these past three games, and I’m proud of you. But playing that hard for three games in a row takes a toll. It’s hell on your bodies. It’s hell on you mentally.”

We all nod along.

“I don’t say that to discourage you. I say that to remind you of the reality of the situation. And the reality is this: you’re feeling amazing after winning tonight, but in two days when we play game four, you’re gonna feel tired as hell. The soreness from three hard-fought games is gonna settle into your muscles and bones. And we’ll be playing in LA, not here. We won’t have our fans cheering us on. We’ll be on their ice, getting trashed by their fans. It’s going to be a tough fight.”

He pauses and looks around. We’re all quietly staring at him expectantly.

“But you know what? I’m glad that we’ll be going up against all that. I don’t want an easy win. I don’t want it handed to us. And I don’t think you do either. If we can beat LA on their ice, the win will be that much sweeter. Let’s fucking do it, gentlemen.”

I slap my hands on my legs and yell, amped up to hear Coach curse. He hardly ever does.

Every guy on the team reacts with the same energy. We’re on our feet, smacking each other, hollering, amping each other up.

“Enjoy yourselves tonight, gentlemen. Have fun, but stay out of trouble,” Coach hollers before he walks out of the room.

My phone buzzes with a text from my mom.

Mom: Congrats on the win, honey! I’m so proud of you.

Me: Thanks. Are you headed home?

Mom: Yeah, I’m exhausted from cheering on my superstar son :)

I smile at my screen.

Me: Is Dakota giving you a ride?

Mom: No, I drove here myself. She’s already on her way to her place. She’s got a teacher meeting early in the morning before school starts.

Mom: Have fun celebrating with your teammates!

Me: Drive safely. And text me when you get home.

Mom: I will, honey. Love you!

Me: Love you too

I slide my phone into my bag.

“Drinks at Spanky’s to celebrate?” Xander asks.

Everyone yells, “Fuck yeah!”

We shower and get dressed. I grab my gear bag and walk out with the guys to the arena parking lot. It’s the beginning of May and the evening springtime air is cool.

“How about some body shots to celebrate?” Blomdahl jokes. I roll my eyes.

Theo frowns. “No way. We gotta keep going with the vodka. That’s been our good luck charm, remember?”

Blomdahl groans. “I’m so sick of vodka.”

“I am too,” Xander says. “But we gotta stick with it. We’re on a winning streak.”

Blomdahl sighs. “Fine.”

Theo bumps Xander’s shoulder. “Take it as a body shot off your girlfriend. That’ll make it better.”

Xander shoves him, but he’s smiling.

My phone rings. When I see it’s my mom, I answer it.

“Hey, Mom. What’s up?”

“Del, honey. I need your help.” Her panicked tone stops me in my tracks.

“What’s going on?”

She lets out a shaky breath. “I-I think your dad is following me on the freeway.”

Just then, I hear the squeal of brakes and a car horn blaring on her end of the call.

“Are you okay?” She doesn’t answer. “Mom? Mom!”

There’s a muffled sound and another shaky breath. “I’m okay. Your dad is driving so dangerously. He keeps swerving through the lanes of the freeway. He’s right behind me now. I-I think he’s drunk.”

Every muscle in my body tenses. Adrenaline surges through me like rocket fuel.

It’s then that I notice all the guys are standing around me and staring with worried looks on their faces.

“Where are you, Mom?”

She tells me the stretch of freeway she’s currently on.

“Okay, listen to me.” I try to keep my voice calm and steady despite the panic clawing through my nervous system. “Don’t pull over on the freeway. He’ll be able to get to you if you do that. When you see the next exit, take it. I’m coming to you right now.”

“Okay, honey.” Her voice breaks.

“Stay on the phone with me. Don’t hang up, okay?”

She sniffles. “Okay. Thank you, honey.”

I tell her to hold on a sec and look up at my teammates standing around me.

“My mom’s in trouble. I need to go to her now.”

“Yeah, of course, man,” Xander says.

“What’s wrong?” Blomdahl asks.

I tug a hand through my hair as I dig my keys out of my pocket.

“It’s my dad. He’s been stalking my mom, trying to intimidate her. He’s following her on the freeway right now.”

All of them look sick at what I’ve said.

Theo shakes his head. “Fuck, man. I didn’t know your dad was like that.”

“I have to go.” I jog off in the direction of my car, a few rows away.

It’s a few seconds before I realize that the guys are running alongside me.

I glance on either side of me. “What are you doing?”

“We’re coming with you,” Xander says.

I frown, confused. “Why?”

“Because we’re teammates,” Blomdahl says, like it’s the most obvious answer in the world.

Behind me, Theo claps me on the back. “You shouldn’t have to deal with this alone.”

An unexpected warmth hits my chest.

“You guys don’t have to do this,” I say. “This isn’t your problem.”

Blomdahl shakes his head. “This is your mom, man. No one messes with our moms.”

“I love the shit outta my mom,” Xander says. “If she was in trouble, I’d want as many people to help her as possible.”

That warmth inside of me intensifies. We make it to my SUV. I unlock it, we shove our bags in the back, hop in, and I peel out of the lot in the direction of the freeway.

I have no idea what’s about to go down. But I’ve got my teammates by my side, and that’s the comfort I didn’t know I needed.